Vol.2 No. 3 April 2018 E-ISSN: 2456-5571

TRIBES OF : A CASE STUDY OF KURICHYAS OF KANNAVAM

Nimisha.P Research Scholar in History, University, Kerala,

Abstract The term tribe emerged as a category during this period.Tribal society in India have a very ancient and alive history and heritage of their own.They have their own cultural religious, social, economic and political structures handed on generations for centuries Thus tribe is a group of families especially of ancient or indigenous people,claiming descent from common ancestor, sharing a common culture, religion dialect etc., and usually occupying a specific geographical area and having a recognised leader. The tribes are integral part of Indian population whose life, economy, society religion etc. are substantially affected by their contact with the ‘Hindu neighbours.The region of Kerala is occupied different varieties of tribal groups among the Kurichyas occupied a prominent position they were the most civilized tribal communities in Kerala, modernisation and other development in the realm created a congenial atmosphere to this. In the present study different aspect related to the Kurichya communities are described. Keywords: Tribe, Kurichya, Way of life, Acculturation

Introduction Tribes in India The Modern usage of the word ‘Tribe ‘is started by the The population of tribes in India has been classified early European explores who found primitive communities also on the basis of their economic and cultural manner. in the areas they newly explored. These communities were This distinctive feature has been brought in to eight type. different from the European in their manner, customs, and that is, forest hunting type, hill cultivation type, settled practices (Thurston, 1987:11).The primitive communities of agricultural type, simple artisan type, cattle -header type, the modern age variously or successively were described agricultural and industrial type, folk artist type, and white in the census reports and ethnographic profile as ‘hill scholar jobs etc.(Thurston,1987,81-82).They followed tribes’, ‘primitive tribes’, ‘forest tribes’ back ward social customs like matrilineal, polyandry, polygamyetc. communities etc. (, 1963: 23). It was under the The process of cultural dynamics such as sanskritization is Government of India Act of 1935and the Constitution of the results of social integration between tribal and non- India that nomenclature of the scheduled tribe fully tribal communities. Their technological knowledge isquite emerged. The constitution of India article 366(25) defines unrefined and economic system is simple and backward scheduled tribe as “such tribes or tribal communities as are and based on exchange of goods, these people can be deemed under article 342 to the scheduled tribes (STs) for identified on the basis of geographical separation. the purpose of this constitution “.In the article 342, (Saksena, 2006: 15-16).Tribal have an important placein procedure to be followed for specification of scheduled the society, they were the first humans to inhabit the tribe is prescribed. However it does not contain the country. The tribal people in India can be grouped into criterion for the specification of any community as three major categories according to their physical scheduled tribe (Uma Charan, 1998:71). features.1. The Proto Austroloid, 2. The Mangoloids, 3.The There is no term of ‘tribe’ in ancient literature. The Negrito. All these different groups except Mangaloid found word forest dwellers are used to denote them. The forest in Kerala especially in (Menon, 1972:52). dwellers are variously described as volatile, hospitable in Sanskrit literature The accepted synonym for the Tribes of Kerala scheduled tribe in Hindi is ‘Anuschit Janjati’. The other Kerala has a composite variety of tribes, most of them words like Adhivasi, Vanavasi, Adhimjathi are also used as inhabiting the hilly region of Western Ghats. KIRTADS in synonyms for the tribe and tribal (Kumar, 2007: 5). In its studies has identified thirty six tribal communities in the word tribe denoted as Adivasi. India is a Kerala (Vayaleri, 1996:15-16).The areas of concentration heaven of tribal population and is the second largest in the of tribal communities in Western Ghats are scattered from world in terms of population. Tribal people are considered Kasargod to . The Malabar area to be original inhabitants of this subcontinent having a consisting of Palaghat, Waynad, Kozhikode, and Kannur simple way of life (Cheriyan, 1999: 22-23). consist of more than eighteen varieties of tribal communities. Each tribe is distinguished from others by their pattern of life, occupation, language, and ancestor worshipping ceremonies (Panoor,1963:3). The tribes of

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Kerala as a subject of study has been a neglected by Kurichayas are one of the Scheduled tribe of kerala historians. Most of the existing works on this area done by and stand fourth position regarding in their number. Anthropologists. It is only recent times that historians have Kurichyas are divided in to four. started disclosing the mystery around the tribal 1. Jati Kurichyan /Wyanadkurichyan communities. 2. Kannavam Kurichyan 3. Anchilla Kurichyan or Thirunnelli Kurichyan Methodology 4. PathiriKurichyan /Christian Kurichyan (Personal The study is both descriptive and analytical, and two communication with Punneri Kunkana, Kurichya tribe sets of data’s are mainly used for the preparation of this in Kannavam village, at 21/05/2017) research paper they are: Interview with the members of the Kurichya community of Kannavam region in Resistance movement among the Kurichyas of Kerala. Consulting secondary sources like books, Kurichyas played a seminal role in the anti-colonial articles written by social scientist, archaeologist, struggle in North Malabar. Kurichyas fought for their Anthropologist, Historians etc. freedom and identity and were noted for their loyalty to those who reposed their trust in them. Kurichyas supported Kurichyas: A Historical Overview in the anti -colonial resistance movement Kurichyas are a group of tribal people living in the against the British(vayaleri,1996:67-68).The ruthless high land areas of Wyanad. Dr. Herman Gundert says that, exploitation of the English East India Company in the the word Kurichyas is derived from the word Kurici means Malabar region resulted a popular discontent in high land, village etc., (Madhava, 2002:67-68). There is 1792.Formely Pazhassi Raja was a strong supporter of the different opinion about the origin of Kurichyas. One view company against Tipu Sultan, but later he stood against says that they are the people who assembled at a specific the British. The Malabar commission appointed by the place as per the written instruction of Pazhassi Raja, the company made a temporary revenue agreement with ruler of Kottayam dynasty, a regional kingdom in Kerala. Kottayam Raja for a payment of Rs-20000.he protested Another view is that the people who wore a mark /Kuri in against it along with the grievances of the peasantry their forehead is known as Kurichya (Panoor, 1963:1). culminated in an open revolt against the company. The The kurichyas are a scheduled tribe found in Wyanad anti-colonial sentiments of the various strata of caste and neighbouring areas are considered to have been the hierarchical society helped Pazahassi Raja to mobilize to first agricultural tribe to have settled down in these high them to mobilize them against British. Different groups of lands probably between the first and third centuries people including the Kurichyas were affected the new AD.They represented the unsanskritised undifferentiated revenue policy of the British in Malabar. Hence it was easy stock of proto-historic Dravidian speakers of Kerala for Pazhassi Raja to mobilize his army from various groups (Thurston, 1987:110). The Kurichyas claims to be the of people. Thalakkal Chandu was the head of the Kurichya higher group among these tribes, they assumed and were tribe that supported Pazhassi raja He was highly honoured accorded social superiority by the other tribes inhabiting by the Raja, and made himself as the head of the the area. Occupationally the Kurichyas acted themselves Gorillaforces. The Kurichya tribes were faithful allies of the as soldiers, administrators of forest villages, they are also Pazhassi Raja till the end. The Rebellion of the Pazhassi functioned as carpenters and toddy tappers Raja was suppressed by the British brutally by using their (Vayaleri,1996:63-64).According to a myth associated with forces (Panoor, 1963:87-88). kurichyas ‘they were the soldiers of lord Rama, when lord Rama went to vanavasa Bharatasheltered them by Cultural Milieu of Kannavamkurichyas providing area to reside them’. The Kuriachyas are Kannavamor Kannoth is a village in Kannur district described in the Malabar Gazetteers as following; They are Kerala which lies eight miles east of , and jungle tribe of slash and burn cultivation, found in Wyanad fourteen miles east of Thalasserry on the Periya Ghats and the slopes of the Ghats, and north of Calicut. They road leading to Mananthawaddy (MadhavaMenon, considered themselves polluted by the approaches of 2002:196).The kannavam forest inhabited by the other hill tribes, and by the touch of other outside Kurichyas. Harijan welfare development society in Kerala communities. They perform talikkettu* ceremony before established a kurichya colony in kannavam forest, about puberty. They followed Marumakkathayamor matrilineal seventy Kurichya family are resided in this colony(Personal family system. (Velappan, 1999:15-17). communication with Kumaran Vayaleri, Academician and

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visiting professor at Kuthuparamaba on 23/05/2017 ).The Kurichya man, now working as a government employ at social organisation of the Kurichyas are based on clan. Kannavam on 27/05/2017). They are monogamous in nature and polyandry is forbidden among them but polygamy is found. They Social structure practice pollution against all castes except Namboothiri Family Brahmins. The kurichyas of kannavam are divided in to a Kurichya community followed a kinship relation, the number of exogamous kulamor clans. According to them eldest male member of the family known as karnon, he has there are hundreds kulam, but only seventy five kulam the authority in all matters, and look after the family and were traced out. They are matrilineal and their children’s affairs of the family. Theyyadi and Panikkar are titles naturally belongs to the kulam of their mother. Each kulam enjoyed by the person who are just below the rank of has its own deity represented (Menon, 1972:154-156). karnon. These two have the power to control all religious matters at the absent of karnon. The duties and Pattern of Houses responsibilities are divided according to the convenience of Their house is multi roomed, the wall is thickly the concerned person. Pooppathi or the Karnon’s wife covered with mud and cow dung and roof is thatched with supervises the activities of female members in the family. palm /coconut leaves, but now a day’s thatched roof is The elders in the family are obeyed and respected. Now replaced by tiles. There is no window to their houses, but the situation was changed the youngstersenjoyed full there are large doors on the four sides of their houses. freedom in their own family (personal communication with There is an agnikuntam /fire altar in front of the each Poovathi Uppadi, Kurichya women at kannavam village on houses. There is also an aithapura in the back side of each 22/05/2017). house (personal communication with (Chennappoyil Manikyam, aKurichya women at Kannavam on Property Rights 21/05/2017). The traditional house pattern of the Kurichyas Kurichyas followed a matrilineal system of inheritance is tremendously changed due to their contact with the and their succession is through nephews (Vayaleri, outside world. The educated younger generation of the 1996:35). The property is inherited through female line. kurichya tribes preferred modern ways of life. Modern tribal The abolition of matrilineal system changed the traditional houses are mostly situated near the non -tribal belts or system of inheriting properties. Now a days it was changed borders. from Marumakkathayam to Makkathayam.Property is transformed only through the family members (Panoor, Tribal Council of Kurichyas 1963:74-76). The Kurichyas of kannavam had tribal council and this was headed by Mooppan /Karnon. Eachkulam has its own Pollution Concept tribal council. The office of the Mooppan is hereditary, this Kurichyas had a high pollution concept. They purify tribal council had much power over the people and their themselves by a deep bath in a stream. When they go out territory and also this council has the ultimate authority in they fol lowed strict food taboos. Traditionally they do not the matter concerned to in social, political, religious and eat food from an outcaste, the only exception being the political matters, disputes and petty cases are settled by Nair’s. Those who violated the pollution rules are strictly the council (Personal communication with Kumaran debarred from the community (Thurston, 1987:83). Vayaleri). Adultery violation of tribal norms and marriage within the clan or outside the community are viewed as Puberty Ceremony serious offences. Excommunication is the usual The ceremony is conducted when the girls attains punishment. Mooppan would advise the individual in such puberty, she has to live in a seclusion hut known as an occasion and try to correct him. Marriage is considered Daivapura* for seven days. A woman is assisting her in as a sacred ceremony to them, if the bride had any illicit Daivapura for seven days. On the seventh day she goes to affairs with anybody, she would confess in front of the the stream for bath (communication, PoovathyManikkyam). whole kulam. If she not ready to confess they believe that the god will punish the entire kulam. So that in such an Marriage Ceremony occasion the girl would be expelled from the kulam Among the marriage is called Pennukonduvaral, (personal communication with Narikkodan Chandu, a meaning bringing the woman. Before marriage the girl has to promise that she had not courtship with any man.

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Usually the marriage is fixed after attaining puberty. After colony. But the participation of the student is very less that the elders look auspicious time for marriage. The bride because of pollution concept. The government gave price is given by groom’s karnon to brides Karnon. The various incentives to the children. (communication amount of the bride price decreased if the marriage of the Kumaran Vayaleri) girlis second (personal communication, PunneriChandhu Swami, belongs to Kurichya tribe at kuthuparaba on Conclusion 29/06/2017).The marriage outside the tribe and within the Among the tribal groups in Kerala Kurichyas are most clan is strictly forbidden. The age difference between the developed one. They are live in Waynad and Kannur areas bride and groom is not concerned, and sometimes the of Kerala state. They are the first agricultural tribe settled bride may be older than the groom. Divorce is permitted for in Wayanad district of Kerala. They were one of the martial adequate reason with the permission of the tribal council. tribe but in the dicisicive battle they were defeated by The remarriage is permitted and common. In the case of Britishers. The kurichyas were expert in archery and women, the new husband is responsible for looking after Gorilla warfare, Pazhassi Raja completely used this skill of the children of her previous marriage. Now a day’s the kurichays. The Kurichya tribe always maintained caste intermarriage related to Kurichyas are reported. Now a hierarchy. They always maintained untouchability with days marriage become simple and considerable changes other community Kurichyas believed in Hinduism and they have been occurred in the marriage ceremony worship Hindu god and goddesses. Kurichyas were expert (Communication, Kumaran Vayaleri). Love marriages with herbal medical practitioners. In the case of Kurichyas they other communities are not rare. One of the major reason preferred cross cousin marriage and marriage take place for this changes is the process of acculturation and the only the girl attains puberty. Due to the modernisation and activities of social workers among them. In brief they have other circumstances the lifestyle of the kurichyas changed become part of the modern way of living. Some elders tremendously due to the acculturation process and other members in the community are not willing to accept these developmental changes the kurichyas are also actively changes and they prefer to live in archaic lifestyle. But the engaged in the rest of the world, it resulted modernisation new generation preferred modern way of life (personal of these tribal groups. communication with Narikkoden Janaki, Kurichya women, working in a private sector at Kuthuparamba on Notes 29/06/2017). Aithapura – The polluted women’s area. Kulam – kinship group Economic Structure Mooppan – head man Occupation Nizhal – ancestor spirit The main occupation of the kurichyas of kannavam is Pulakkuli – ritual bath agriculture. The economies of the Kurichyas are mainly Talikettu – wearing sacred thread in neck as a symbol agro based one. Traditionally they are shifting cultivators of marriage. and hunters. Paddy is grown in wet land. Cash crops like coffee, bean, ginger, pepper, arcanut, turmeric, tapioca, References plantain, and coconut are grown in dry land (Cheriyan, 1. Cheriyan, PJ. (1999). Perspectives on Kerala history. 1999:119), but now some of the youngsters are taken Trivandrum. Cultural Publication Department. white collar jobs and plantation jobs. In addition to this they 2. Kumar, Pramod, Singh. (2007). Tribes of North India. were also engaged in fishing, hunting, and collecting forest Jaipur: Aryan Books International goods etc., but the educated new generation are not ready 3. Madhava Menon, T. (2002). Handbook of Kerala to accept their traditional way of living (communication, Trivandrum: Kerala Gazetteers Department. Chennapoyil Manikkyam ). 4. Mohanti, Umacharan. (1998). Tribal Culture and Tribal Welfare.Madrass: National Book Trust. Education 5. Panoor, K. (1963). Keralathile Africa. Kozhikode: The government had started Harijan Welfare school in Abhinav Publications. 1955 at Velumbram near kannavam colony. But it has not 6. Saksena, HS. (2006). Scheduled Tribe and been continued for long, it was destroyed by elephants. Development. NewDelhi: D.K. Print work Limited. They say that this destruction has been the expression of 7. Sarkar, Sumit (1983). Modern India. Madras: Abhinav gods anger. In 1962 this school has shifted to Kannavam Publications.

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8. Sharma, SP (1998) Indian Tribes. New Delhi: National 12. Tiwari, SK. (1998). Antiquity of Indian Tribes. New Book Trust. Delhi: Abhinav Publications. 9. Singh, KS (2002). People of India and Kerala. New 13. Vayaleri, Kumaran. (1996). Kurichyarude Jeevitavum Delhi: K.P. Bagchi and Co. Samskaravum. Kottayam: Department of Public 10. Menon, A, Sreedhran. (1972), Kerala District Relations. Gazeteer: Cannannore. Thiruvananthapuram, 14. Velappan, K. (1999). Adhivasikalum Adhvasi Cultural, Publications. Bhasahakalum. Trivandrum: State Institute of 11. Thurston, Edgar. (1987). Castes and tribes in South Languages. India. London: Replica Press Pvt Ltd.

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